Crompton-Roberts, Charles Henry | Day 17

In 1880, he stood as the Conservative candidate in the by-election against the Liberal candidate, Sir Julian Goldsmid, and won the election by 1145 votes to 705.

He and his household stayed in Stanley House, Beach Street during the election. His horses were stabled at the Royal Hotel.

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-share/a7c7c33a-7d94-4103-98dc-b39d1b68c804

Witness Type: Candidate / MP

Party: Conservative

Other Days The Witness Was Called On: Day 16 | Day 20

Witness Testimony:

  • 18748.

    Had you any intimation or idea in your own mind prior to that, that there had been bribery practised in the course of the election ? — No.

  • 18749.

    (Mr Turner) You had not heard that Sir Julian Goldsmid meditated a petition immediately after the election ? — I think about three or four days afterwards my brother stated to me he had met Sir Julian Goldsmid, that he stopped and spoke to him, and he said he looked as though he were going to meditate some evil, and he said to me, “If there is anything wrong, he is safe to get up a petition.” I think that was a few days, something like a week or fortnight subsequent to the election.

  • 18750.

    (Mr Jeune) Going back to these accounts of the pass book; you say you would be good enough to bring the prior pass book to the one you have furnished me with ? — Yes, and I am sorry I have not got it here.

  • 18751.

    What is this account marked folio 41 ? — When my accountant copies my accounts all items which are not to be charged to any particular ledger account go down to the house account.

  • 18752.

    I see upon May 22nd there is a cheque to Mr Nethersole for £31 15s 6d which goes into the house account ? — Yes, this (producing a paper) is the bill for it.

  • 18753.

    That was for wine, and was consumed during the time ? — Yes, and some was brought back to London.

  • 18754.

    How does your accountant know to what account to put this ? — I send him all the bills to endorse.

  • 18755.

    He has the bills before him and this book ? — Yes.

  • 18756.

    Then later on, June 22nd, I see: “Nethersole, £50.” What was that ? — I had several applications after I left to subscribe to various sick people, and I wrote to Mr Nethersole upon the subject. He is a gentleman who has the confidence, not only of the Church people there, but also the Nonconformists, and I asked him if he would kindly, as I thought I might be taken in, allow me to send him any letters I got, and if he thought they were people who should receive charity from me, pay it for me. I got an acknowledgment from him saying he would be very pleased to be my almoner, but I do not know whether he has spent any of that £50 or not.

  • 18757.

    You gave it to him to spend in charities ? — Yes.

  • 18758.

    How did your accountant know that that was to go under the head of charities ? — I should think, most likely, the cheque would be marked “C Y” in the corner.

  • 18759.

    Has Mr Nethersole given you any account as to how that £50 has been spent ? — I have never asked him for it, and I do not think it has been spent. That was some time after the election, you notice.

  • 18760.

    Yes, a month ? — I got two or three letters, and it would have taken me a considerable time to get at the truth of them, and Mr Nethersole being upon the spot, I asked him to do it for me.

  • 18761.

    (Mr Holl) Were there any further personal expenses besides these that have been disclosed in those accounts, and what you have mentioned to us ? — No, not a penny of any kind.

  • 18762.

    There is nothing at all that you can recollect beyond those items mentioned in this account, and the other items you have mentioned to us ? — I think I did tell you that my wife and myself went down without any money, because we were hurried away in the manner I have described. And therefore, as regards some of those sums appearing in the account, my wife may have had some of the money. I have no doubt in my own mind that I received all those amounts, and the only one that puzzled me was the £60. With regard to all the others, I have no doubt they were spent in ordinary personal expenditure, such as, which perhaps you would not call ordinary expenditure, giving £10 to the gentlemen who came to help me. I gave, as I have mentioned already, £10 to a gentleman who went over to Ramsgate to fetch a friend to speak for me, and I gave to all those who came to help me something – some £5, and others £10 – to pay for their traveling expenses, and the trouble they had been at in coming.

  • 18763.

    Beyond what we have already seen, and what you have already mentioned, are there any other personal expenses which you can call to mind ? — No, that account was made out for the purpose of ascertaining to a penny the total cost of the election.

  • 18764.

    (Mr Jeune) You did work out the total cost of the election ? — Yes.

  • 18765.

    And what conclusion did you arrive as to the total cost ? — I always was under the impression, or had got a little notion that elections cost something like £10,000, and I thought I had done it economically.

  • 18766.

    (Mr Turner) Have you come to the figure at all which it has cost you ? — Subtracting the cost of the petition it has cost me £6500.

  • 18767.

    (Mr Holl) That is without your personal expenditure ? — Yes, without what you tell me now I ought to have brought in, and that would make it £7000. You must take off something because one must live somewhere, and my living costs me more than that for three weeks all the year round.

  • 18768.

    I understand you have now told us of all the sums you have paid directly or indirectly in connection with the election ? — Yes.

  • 18769.

    Everything you can think of ? — Yes, every halfpenny I can think of.